<p>What is the difference between Boston College and Boston University? Size, atmosphere, people, campus? And which one is more difficult to get into?</p>
<p>Addressing only part of the question, BC is suburban while BU is urban. BC sits at the end of the B branch of the Green Line, while BU is at the beginning of the B branch, right next to Kenmore Square (where Fenway Park is). The distance is about 4 miles. BU stretches along Commonwealth Avenue and runs along the Charles River, while BC is a more traditional campus - with part a bus ride away in Newton.</p>
<p>BC has a large-ish football stadium and is the only major college football team in this area. BU eliminated football. BU and BC are deadly rivals in hockey. </p>
<p>BC is Jesuit and retains a largely Catholic flavor. BU is less local - about 20% of the students come from MA. They each have their academic strengths, so if you have a specific program that should be your first focus. </p>
<p>BU is somewhat larger in overall size.</p>
<p>Both are excellent schools with very different vibes. BC's population looked a lot like HS to our S, which was a turn off, although the campus is quite nice and very clean but definitely very Catholic and suburban. BU does not have that nice cozy campus feel but makes up for that with it's lively urban environment.</p>
<p>BC is more White, while BU is more diverse.</p>
<p>i'd say BC is harder to get into, but BU's COM (college of communication) and SMG (school of management) programs are more competitive than BC's similar programs.</p>
<p>I don't think BC is harder to get into. BU is simply larger and each college at BU has its own standards. BU has the largest number of foreign students of any school. </p>
<p>I live right near both schools and both have improved a lot over the years. BC has become much less parochial, in both the religious and local sense, while BU has become a national university.</p>
<p>The stats do show that BC is harder to get into, and also Carroll is ranked higher than BU SMG in both the businessweek and USNWR undergrad business rankings</p>
<p>The two schools are so different. This question comes up all the time. Just because they both have BOSTON in their names doesn't mean they're similar. It all comes down to fit--- what do you want to study, what kind of campus do you prefer, etc. Visit the campuses and do your homework.</p>
<p>to put it simply...</p>
<p>BC- catholic, has a campus (but the campus i think, is really "dense"... its not spread out at all), harder to get into, basically in boston, medium sized school</p>
<p>BU- not catholic, RIGHT in boston, no campus, large school (bigger than BC)</p>
<p>BU has an urban campus which is quite different than a suburban campus. When you visit both you'll get a sense of the student body and rythmn of the campuses and can choose the best fit accordingly. Take out CGS and they are similar in terms of admissions and stats. Both offer a quality education. BC a little more rah rah sports catholic culture while BU has more of an international presence and no football. (but all other sports) There is no "better" school since a lot depends on fit. Many BC kids might not want to be on the edge of Boston as BU is while many BU kids might find the pretty enclosed traditional BC campus to be boring compared to the urban vibe. So its whatever works for you.</p>
<p>i don't know why some people say BU doesn't have a campus. it has an urban campus.. there's a few non-BU shops/restaurants/etc in between BU property, but especially for the east and central part, all the property is together. it's a lot more close-knit than a lot of other urban campuses. and it actually has grass at west campus and BU beach.</p>
<p>BU also has the entire Esplanade and the Charles River.</p>
<p>And all the courtyard, cafes, and cobblestone areas around BU's new Student Village and FitRec Ctr and of course all along the tree lined streets with brownstones as dorms on Bay State Rd and South Campus. West has more of a campus feel with 3 large dorms and a very nice dining hall overlooking the playing fields, skyline of Boston, and the river. Get off of Comm Ave. when you visit and go between the buildings. Theres a small Zen type area and several grassy areas. It's nothing like going to a rural or suburban campus in terms of grass but how much grass do you really need to just sit out and hang with friends or study. A long walk or short T ride takes you to Bostom Common for a nature/pond experience and you can do free recreational sailing, go to BU's cabins in NH, join a ski/snowboard or nature activity club for regular trips out of the city.</p>
<p>If you aren't into an urban experience then it might not be for you but there really is a campus especially compared to other urban schools like NYU or Emerson. Part of BU's campus includes the on and off campus, but nearby, ethnic restaurants, bike and ski/board shop, book store, BU boat house, Asian food market, music venues, and all the other neighborhood nook and crannies that a full of BU students and kids from surrounding colleges like NE, EM., MIT, Harvard and are a part of a city college life.</p>
<p>BC is half the size of BU. Size - and I'd guess CGS - are why it's statistically harder to get into BC. If you look at big schools across the country, they have to take a higher percentage of applicants. </p>
<p>BU has the best campus of any large, urban school. Not just the green space and the parks but the T runs right down the middle. I suppose if you consider Columbus, OH equivalent to Boston or New York, then OSU would win.</p>
<p>About half the freshmen at BC end up in the Newton campus to live, which is bus ride away in the middle of a completely residential area.</p>
<p>its actually about 40% that live on newton, a quarter of those who actually request to live there, including me. I dont see why everyone sees newton as so bad, its a very nice campus and the bus isnt a big deal at all.</p>
<p>The point is the Newton campus isn't the main BC campus and someone applying might think that's important.</p>